Skip to main content

Modern Paintings

MODERN STYLE

The first decades of the 20th century were a period of artistic upheaval, with modern art movements including Cubism, Surrealism, Futurism and Dadaism questioning centuries of traditional views of what art should be. Using abstraction, experimental forms and interdisciplinary techniques, painters, sculptors, photographers, printmakers and performance artists all pushed the boundaries of creative expression.

Major exhibitions, like the 1913 Armory Show in New York City — also known as the “International Exhibition of Modern Art,” in which works like the radically angular Nude Descending a Staircase by Marcel Duchamp caused a sensation — challenged the perspective of viewers and critics and heralded the arrival of modern art in the United States. But the movement’s revolutionary spirit took shape in the 19th century.

The Industrial Revolution, which ushered in new technology and cultural conditions across the world, transformed art from something mostly commissioned by the wealthy or the church to work that responded to personal experiences. The Impressionist style emerged in 1860s France with artists like Claude Monet, Paul Cézanne and Edgar Degas quickly painting works that captured moments of light and urban life. Around the same time in England, the Pre-Raphaelites, like Edward Burne-Jones and Dante Gabriel Rossetti, borrowed from late medieval and early Renaissance art to imbue their art with symbolism and modern ideas of beauty.

Emerging from this disruption of the artistic status quo, modern art went further in rejecting conventions and embracing innovation. The bold legacy of leading modern artists Georges Braque, Pablo Picasso, Frida Kahlo, Salvador Dalí, Henri Matisse, Joan Miró, Marc Chagall, Piet Mondrian and many others continues to inform visual culture today.

Find a collection of modern paintings, sculptures, prints and other fine art on 1stDibs.

to
2,510
2,099
1,798
1,985
1,225
1,282
Overall Width
to
Overall Height
to
22
101
5,438
2,828
19
35
128
367
362
427
545
451
317
241
15
42,904
37,622
22,253
8,390
3,999
3,638
3,289
2,505
1,208
1,189
1,052
1,025
447
299
3,871
3,732
728
3,457
2,099
1,925
1,145
926
652
646
515
390
372
345
283
250
240
187
187
183
171
170
165
7,526
5,059
2,730
2,654
1,500
167
153
112
60
54
3,217
831
4,002
3,554
Style: Modern
Portrait of a lady
Located in Wien, 9
In elegant clothing and a pompous hat, the lady looks out from the side of the picture. The narrow neckline and the sideways positioning create a strict and controlled impression. Th...
Category

1910s Modern Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Portrait of a woman with a green headscarf
Located in Genève, GE
Work on canvas Gray wooden frame 56 x 48 x 5.5 cm
Category

1940s Modern Paintings

Materials

Oil

20th Century French Modernist Gouache Painting Pink And Red Tulips In Clear Vase
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
by Paul-Louis Bolot (French 1918-2003) signed original gouache painting on thick paper/ card unframed condition: very good and sound; the edges have a few curls and scuffs/ edge tear...
Category

20th Century Modern Paintings

Materials

Gouache

King Tut No. 2, Mid-Century Ovoid Geometrical Abstract Gouache on Paper
Located in Beachwood, OH
Clarence Holbrook Carter (American, 1904-2000) King Tut No. 2, 1968 Gouache on paper Signed and dated upper right 11.25 x 8.25 inches 25.5 x 20.5 inches A surrealist mid-century fig...
Category

1960s Modern Paintings

Materials

Gouache

Vintage Signed Architectural Modern Medieval Revival Framed Landscape Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Antique English modernist landscape oil painting by Phillip Castle (Born 1943). Oil on canvas. Framed. Signed verso.
Category

1950s Modern Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

1950's French Modernist Signed Oil on Canvas Boats in a Blue Harbor Coastal View
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
French modernist artist, circa 1950's indistinctly signed signed oil painting on canvas, unframed canvas : 10.5 x 18 inches provenance: private collection, France condition: good and...
Category

Mid-20th Century Modern Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Still Life of Fruit on Table Style of Paul Cézanne
Located in Soquel, CA
Modern Cézanne style still life with collage by Dorothy Jane (Milne) Eggen (American, 1907-1986) Her still life is a Homage to Paul Cézanne's ...
Category

1960s Modern Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil, Illustration Board, Newsprint

Portrait of a Seated Woman
Located in Wiscasett, ME
Oil on canvas, signed with initials center left. Measures 32" x 23.5" including the frame. Provenance: ACA Galleries, NYC Bradbury Art and Antiques, Wiscasset, Maine Brought to...
Category

Mid-20th Century Modern Paintings

Materials

Oil

Backlight at Belmont by Ernest Voegeli - Oil on Canvas 46x55 cm
Located in Geneva, CH
Ernest Voegeli is an artist who has found his path through a combination of solid technique and a clear, insightful approach to color, form, and composition. While his work is primar...
Category

Mid-20th Century Modern Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Portrait of Man - Painting by Francesco Settimj - 1933
Located in Roma, IT
Oil on canvas mounted on board, realized by Francesco Settimj in 1933. Hand signed and dated lower left. Good condition.
Category

1930s Modern Paintings

Materials

Oil

Untitled-006 abstract painting by Fred Martin
Located in Hudson, NY
Exhibited: 2003 Oakland Museum of California "Fred Martin Retrospective" A native Californian, Fred Martin was born in San Francisco in 1927, and received both his BA (1949) and MA (1954) from University of California, Berkley. At the San Francisco Art Institute Martin studied with Clyfford Still, Mark Rothko and David Park...
Category

1970s Modern Paintings

Materials

Masonite, Pastel, Acrylic

Contemporary figurative painting of two women oil on canvas "You are my angel'
Located in VÉNISSIEUX, FR
This modern painting, titled "You Are My Angel," was created by French artist Nataya Mougenot. It is part of her series dedicated to women, where she explores the powerful bond betwe...
Category

2010s Modern Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Charles Cobelle City Center Painting, Signed
Located in New York, NY
Charles Cobelle (French/American, 1902-1998) Untitled, 20th Century Oil on canvas 24 x 30 in. Signed lower right: Cobelle Born in Alsace-Lorraine, France, and becoming a U.S. citiz...
Category

20th Century Modern Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Mid-Century Modern Swedish Expressive Still Life Oil Painting - Tulips in a Jug
Located in Bristol, GB
TULIPS IN A JUG Size: 70 x 61 cm (including frame) Oil on canvas An elegant and delicate mid-century still life painting, executed in oil onto canvas. The composition captures a bo...
Category

Mid-20th Century Modern Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Mallorca seascape oil on canvas painting Spain
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Frameless
Category

2010s Modern Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

I Dreamed of You
Located in Zofingen, AG
The painting "I Dreamed of You" offers a refined exploration of human sensuality and emotional experiences. At the center of the composition is an elegant woman with a confident gaz...
Category

2010s Modern Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Virgin Islands Landscape
Located in Wilton Manors, FL
Inez McCombs (1895-1975). Virgin Islands, ca. 1950. Alkyd on paper mounted to masonite panel. Measuring 13 x 16 inches; 18 x 21 inches framed. Signed lower right. Philadelphia-...
Category

Mid-20th Century Modern Paintings

Materials

Masonite, Paper, Alkyd

Still life with vase
Located in Genève, GE
Work on canvas Golden wooden frame 52 x 45 x 3.5 cm
Category

1930s Modern Paintings

Materials

Oil

Returning from the General Store
Located in Missouri, MO
Returning from the General Store William Henry Dethlef Koerner (German, American, 1878-1938) Oil on Panel Signed Lower Right 24 x 30 inches 27 x 33 inches with frame William Henry D...
Category

Early 20th Century Modern Paintings

Materials

Oil, Panel

Vintage American Modernist Interior Scene Signed Framed Portrait Oil Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Vintage American modernist interior scene with figures by Carol Lauttenbauch. Oil on canvas. Large scale work. Amazing detail and an intricate composition. Very impressive in per...
Category

1990s Modern Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Untitled - Oil Paint by Mario Guglielmotti - Mid-20th Century
Located in Roma, IT
Untitled is a modern artwork realized by Mario Guglielmotti. Mixed media on canvas. Hand signed on the lower margin. Includes frame
Category

1980s Modern Paintings

Materials

Oil

Evening tea
Located in Zofingen, AG
Evening Tea" is a painting permeated with soft light and the aroma of a summer garden. Lush flowers in a vase seem to whisper stories of quiet evenings, and a cup of tea standing ne...
Category

2010s Modern Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

The Old Town Nice, South of France, Signed French Modernist Oil 1930's
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Artist/ School: French School, indistinctly signed and dated Title: Nice (Cote d' Azur, France) Medium: oil painting on board, framed. frame: 28.75 x 32.75 inches board: 21.25 x 2...
Category

20th Century Modern Paintings

Materials

Oil

Jesus Ortiz Tajonar (1919-1990) Boy W/Papier-Mâché Animal Warrior Mask
Located in San Francisco, CA
Jesus Ortiz Tajonar (1919-1990) Mexican Boy with Papier-Mâché Animal Warrior Mask c.1950s Fantastic mid century modern oil painting by listed Mexican artist Jesus Ortiz Tajonar. W...
Category

1950s Modern Paintings

Materials

Oil

1970's French Modernist Board Games Abstract Composition Painting
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Board Games by Guy Nicod (French 1923 - 2021) oil on artist paper, unframed painting : 19.75 x 24 inches stamped verso provenance: artists estate, France condition: very good and sou...
Category

Mid-20th Century Modern Paintings

Materials

Oil

French Modernist Oil Painting Pathway in Sun Scorched Provence Landscape
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Pathway in Provence by Andre Guilou (French 1925-2017) signed and dated 2000 oil on canvas, unframed canvas: 24 x 29 inches provenance: private collection, France condition: very goo...
Category

Early 2000s Modern Paintings

Materials

Oil, Canvas

Eternal spring in the garden of my soul
Located in Zofingen, AG
"Eternal Spring in the Garden of My Soul" is an ode to inner renewal and endless life energy. The painting features geraniums — a symbol of resilience and beauty — set against a shim...
Category

2010s Modern Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Cityscape
Located in Buffalo, NY
An original oil on canvas painting by American female artist Enid Smiley. Enid Smiley (1924-2004) American New York. Born as Enid Ginsberg and later the family name changed to Gilb...
Category

1970s Modern Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

The French Rooster
Located in London, GB
'The French Rooster', gouache on art paper, by Raymond Debiève (circa 1960s). A Mid-Century modern depiction of the French coq, or rooster. The origin o...
Category

1960s Modern Paintings

Materials

Paper, Gouache

The Italian Coastline Turquoise Sea Signed Antique Impressionist Oil Painting
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
The Italian Coast Italian School, circa 1900's indistinctly signed oil on canvas, unframed canvas : 9.75 x 16.5 inches provenance: private collection condition: very good and sound c...
Category

Mid-20th Century Modern Paintings

Materials

Oil, Canvas

Life Path Mastery. Foliage green painting
Located in Zofingen, AG
The canvas is a metaphor for life, where through the interweaving of our realisations and steps, we create our own unique pattern of life. Its beauty and complexity depends on our i...
Category

2010s Modern Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Nude Portrait by WPA Artist Arthur Smith
Located in New York, NY
Arthur Smith (American, 1897-1972) Untitled (Nude), 20th century Oil on board 11 1/8 x 14 in. Framed: 17 x 20 in. Signed lower right: A Smith Arthur Sm...
Category

20th Century Modern Paintings

Materials

Board, Oil

1950's Scandinavian Oil Painting on Canvas Moody Atmospheric Beach Jetty
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
The Beach Mid 20th century, Scandinavian School, indistinctly signed oil on canvas, framed framed: 16 x 19 inches canvas: 15 x 18 inches provenance...
Category

Mid-20th Century Modern Paintings

Materials

Oil

Antique American Modernist New York Cityscape Pink Hotel Framed Oil Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Impressive early American modernist cityscape oil painting. Framed. Oil on canvas. Image size, 30H by 26L.
Category

1940s Modern Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

NYC Subway Mid 20th Century Modern American Scene Social Realism Contemporary
Located in New York, NY
NYC Subway Mid 20th Century Modern American Scene Social Realism Contemporary David Atkins (1910 – 2012) Subway Train Departure 24 x 30 inches Oil on can...
Category

1960s Modern Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

"Sea Cliff" Mid Century Modern Coastal Cliff Seascape in Acrylic on Masonite
Located in Soquel, CA
"Sea Cliff" Mid Century Modern Coastal Cliff Seascape in Acrylic on Masonite Expansive seascape by notable California artist Farren Jensen (American, 19...
Category

1970s Modern Paintings

Materials

Masonite, Acrylic

Mid Century Modern Vintage Naive Style Street Scene Oil Painting - Market Day
Located in Bristol, GB
MARKET DAY Size: 50 x 74.5 cm (including frame) Oil on board A whimsical and characterful mid-century naïve style street scene composition that captures the vibrant rhythm of daily ...
Category

Mid-20th Century Modern Paintings

Materials

Oil, Board

Marternity
Located in Geneva, CH
Artist born in Vienna, Austria in 1887. Died in 1970 in Geneva. Work on canvas
Category

1940s Modern Paintings

Materials

Oil

Huge Spanish/ French Oil Painting - Baby blue couple
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
The Dancers by Maria Tort Xirau (Catalan, 1924-2018) signed lower corner dated 1999 oil painting on canvas, framed canvas: 36 x 55 inches framed: 41 ...
Category

1990s Modern Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

The Timeless Allure of the “Javanese Dancer”
Located in San Francisco, CA
Unsurprisingly, she was much admired when exhibited by artist Luis Cutron at the noted Laguna Beach Art Association, today’s Laguna Art Museum in coastal Southern California. Exotic ...
Category

Mid-20th Century Modern Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Warm Evening
Located in Deddington, GB
My interest is to convey elements of the classical arcadian landscape paintings of the 17th and 18th century, inviting the viewer to reflec...
Category

2010s Modern Paintings

Materials

Linen, Oil

Collection of 15 Small Paintings (35% OFF LIST PRICE - LIMITED TIME)
Located in Kansas City, MO
Philip Verhoeven Collection of 15 Small Paintings Acrylic and Marker on Canvas Year: 2024 Size: 15.75 x 15.75 inches (each) Signed and titled by hand (each) COAs provided (individual...
Category

2010s Modern Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic, Permanent Marker

Cobo Shells by Fernand Blondin - Oil on Canvas - 54x81 cm
Located in Geneva, CH
Fernand Blondin (1887-1967) was a Swiss painter and teacher, celebrated for his depictions of idyllic rural life, interiors, female nudes, portraits, still-lifes, religious subjects ...
Category

Mid-20th Century Modern Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Romy: Contemporary Mixed Media Figurative Painting by John Emanuel
Located in Brecon, Powys
John Emanuel embarking on a series of works using new life models. Unusual for a artist who has over the last 40 years only had 3 previous sitters. Now working with Sarah Jane and Ro...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Modern Paintings

Materials

Gouache, ABS

Mountain Landscape - Painting by Francesco Settimj - 1930s
Located in Roma, IT
Oil on wooden panel realized in 1930s. Good condition.
Category

1930s Modern Paintings

Materials

Oil

Inevitable Day – Birth of the Atom oil and tempera painting by Julio De Diego
Located in Hudson, NY
Julio De Diego’s Atomic Series paintings made an extraordinary statement regarding the shock and fear that accompanied the dawn of the nuclear age. In the artist’s own words, “Scientists were working secretly to develop formidable powers taken from the mysterious depths of the earth - with the power to make the earth useless! Then, the EXPLOSION! . . . we entered the Atomic Age, and from there the neo-Atomic war begins. Explosions fell everywhere and man kept on fighting, discovering he could fight without flesh.” To execute these works, De Diego developed a technique of using tempera underpainting before applying layer upon layer of pigmented oil glazes. The result is paintings with surfaces which were described as “bonelike” in quality. The forms seem to float freely, creating a three-dimensional visual effect. In the 1954 book The Modern Renaissance in American Art, author Ralph Pearson summarizes the series as “a fantastic interpretation of a weighty theme. Perhaps it is well to let fantasy and irony appear to lighten the devastating impact. By inverse action, they may in fact increase its weight.” Bibliography Art in America, April 1951, p.78 About this artists: Julio De Diego crafted a formidable persona within the artistic developments and political struggles of his time. The artist characterized his own work as “lyrical,” explaining, “through the years, the surrealists, the social-conscious painters and the others tried to adopt me, but I went my own way, good, bad or indifferent.” [1] His independence manifested early in life when de Diego left his parent’s home in Madrid, Spain, in adolescence following his father’s attempts to curtail his artistic aspirations. At the age of fifteen he held his first exhibition, set up within a gambling casino. He managed to acquire an apprenticeship in a studio producing scenery for Madrid’s operas, but moved from behind the curtains to the stage, trying his hand at acting and performing as an extra in the Ballet Russes’ Petrouchka with Nijinsky. He spent several years in the Spanish army, including a six-month stretch in the Rif War of 1920 in Northern Africa. His artistic career pushed ahead as he set off for Paris and became familiar with modernism’s forays into abstraction, surrealism, and cubism. The artist arrived in the U.S. in 1924 and settled in Chicago two years later. He established himself with a commission for the decoration of two chapels in St. Gregory’s Church. He also worked in fashion illustration, designed magazine covers and developed a popular laundry bag for the Hotel Sherman. De Diego began exhibiting through the Art Institute of Chicago in 1929, and participated in the annual Chicago Artists Exhibitions, Annual American Exhibitions, and International Water Color Exhibitions. He held a solo exhibition at the Art Institute of Chicago in the summer of 1935. Though the artist’s career was advancing, his family life had deteriorated. In 1932 his first marriage dissolved, and the couple’s young daughter Kiriki was sent to live with friend Paul Hoffman. De Diego continued to develop his artistic vocabulary with a growing interest in Mexican art. He traveled throughout the country acquainting himself with the works of muralists such as Carlos Merida, and also began a collection of small native artifacts...
Category

1940s Modern Paintings

Materials

Masonite, Oil, Tempera

A Beautiful Mid-Century Modern Portrait of a Seated Young Woman in a Pink Dress
Located in Chicago, IL
A beautiful, colorful Mid-Century Modern portrait of a seated young woman in a pink dress by famed Chicago Modern artist, Francis Chapin. A fashionably dressed, young model is seate...
Category

Mid-20th Century Modern Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Bull, Mixed Media on Paper by Indian Modern Artist Sunil Das "In Stock"
Located in Kolkata, West Bengal
Sunil Das - Bull Mixed Media on Paper 12.75 x 9.5 inches, 2011 ( Framed & Delivered ) Sunil Das (1939-2015) was a Master Modern Indian Artist from Bengal. Extremely successful right...
Category

2010s Modern Paintings

Materials

Paper, Mixed Media

Woman at Basin, Picasso Style Portrait of a Female Nude, American Modernist
Located in Doylestown, PA
"Woman by Basin" by Philadelphia born modernist and surrealist painter Leon Kelly, is a framed and matted portrait of a female nude. The 22.5" x 17.75" mixed media on artist board i...
Category

1920s Modern Paintings

Materials

Mixed Media

2006 Minimalist Modern Swedish Coastal Landscape Oil Painting - The White Boat
Located in Bristol, GB
THE WHITE BOAT Size: 57 x 63.5 cm (including frame) Oil on canvas A compelling minimalist coastal landscape painting that captures a moment of quiet isolation from a high vantage po...
Category

Early 2000s Modern Paintings

Materials

Oil, Canvas

Mid Century Modern Swedish Green Landscape Oil Painting - Pastoral Geometry
Located in Bristol, GB
PASTORAL GEOMETRY Size: 51 x 91 cm (including frame) Oil on canvas A serene mid-century modernist landscape that captures a cluster of farmhouses nestled within a stylised patchwork...
Category

Mid-20th Century Modern Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Still Life
Located in Dallas, TX
Signed "P. Bisiaux" at lower right The overall dimensions, including the frame, are 29 x 34 7/8 inches
Category

Mid-20th Century Modern Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

"Untitled #144, " 1960s Modern Abstract Painting
Located in Westport, CT
This Modern painting by Abstract Expressionist Stanley Bate was made with oil on canvas circa 1960. In it, layers of red, yellow, white, and umber paint are expressively applied over...
Category

1960s Modern Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

"Female Nude", Marcel Gromaire (1892-1971) attributed
Located in Paris, FR
Marcel Gromaire (1892–1971) was a painter who left a significant mark on modern French art. He turned to painting after World War I, during which he served as a soldier. His wartime ...
Category

Mid-20th Century Modern Paintings

Materials

Oil

Historically Important American Army Soldiers in Paris Cafe WPA Ashcan Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Antique American oil painting. Oil on canvas. Measuring 18 by 22 inches.
Category

1930s Modern Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Rags and Old Iron oil painting by Aaron Bohrod
Located in Hudson, NY
Painting measures 16" x 20" and framed 24 ¼" x 28 ¼". Signed "Aaron Bohrod" lower center. About this artist: Aaron Bohrod was known for the range of styles from social realism to la...
Category

Mid-20th Century Modern Paintings

Materials

Oil, Wood Panel

1950's Modernist/ Cubist Painting - The Girl In The Forest
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Portrait by Bernard Labbe (French mid 20th century) original gouache on artist paper, unframed size: 19.5 x 16.5 inches condition: very good and ready to be enjoyed provenance: the ...
Category

Mid-20th Century Modern Paintings

Materials

Gouache

Day at the Park - Surreal Figurative
Located in Soquel, CA
Bold figurative work by Richard Cronin (American, b. 1952). Two figures are at the edge of the sea, one of which is seated and holding two beach balls. ...
Category

1970s Modern Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Large Mid Century French Oil Three Figures Seated Picnic Conversation
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Deep in Conversation by Pierre Georgeot (French mid 20th century) oil on canvas, framed framed: 25 x 30 inches canvas : 24 x 29 inches Provenance: private collection, France Conditio...
Category

Mid-20th Century Modern Paintings

Materials

Oil, Canvas

Nude Seated on Blue Couch, Oil Painting by Laurent Marcel Salinas
Located in Long Island City, NY
Nude Seated on Blue Couch Laurent Marcel Salinas, (1913-2010) Creation Date: 1986 Oil on Canvas, signed lower left Size: 10 x 8 in. (25.4 x 20.32 cm) Frame Size: 16.25 x 14.25 inches
Category

1980s Modern Paintings

Materials

Oil

Modern paintings for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic Modern paintings available for sale on 1stDibs. Works in this style were very popular during the 21st Century and Contemporary, but contemporary artists have continued to produce works inspired by this movement. If you’re looking to add paintings created in this style to introduce contrast in an otherwise neutral space in your home, the works available on 1stDibs include elements of blue, orange, purple, red and other colors. Many Pop art paintings were created by popular artists on 1stDibs, including Bernard Labbe, Christel Haag, Sunil Das, and Antonio Feltrinelli. Frequently made by artists working with Paint, and Oil Paint and other materials, all of these pieces for sale are unique and have attracted attention over the years. Not every interior allows for large Modern paintings, so small editions measuring 1 inches across are also available.

Recently Viewed

View All